Collapsible automobile-top.



c. D. WILLIAMS. COLLAPSIBLE AUTOMOBILE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1914.

1 1515315. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

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- EINITED @TATES PATENT @FFIQE.

CHARLES DAVID WILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COLLAPSIBLE AUTOMOBILE-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915..

a A Application filed September 12, 1914. Serial No. 861,460.

support at each side of the vehicle body and.

having thetop projecting forwardly from said support so as to adequately and properly cover a two-seated vehicle. This type of top is commonly referred to as a oneman top inasmuch as it may be very readily raised or lowered by one person.

My invention relates particularly to the means for holding the bows in front of the support rigid in respect to each other and at the same time presenting a very simple and easily operated locking device permitting the collapsing and folding of the top.

A further object of myinvention is to so arrange and design the bows of the top with respect to the body of the vehicle as to present a substantially rectangular space conveniently filled by removable walland door extensions.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings forming apart of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several Views.

Figure 1 1s a side elevation of a vehlcle I showing the skeleton framework of the top and showing wall and door extensions for completely closing the body, Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the top partly collapsed and the wall and door extensions removed, and Figs. 3' and 4 are sectional details showing one means for fastening the upper edges of the wall extensions to the bows of the top, and Fig. 5 is a similar sectional detail showing one means for securing the wall and door extensions to the upper edges of the walls and doors.

In the specific construction illustrated, I provide a skeleton frame for the top, said frame being made up of a plurality of pivotally connected bows. These bows are covered with suitable waterproof fabric extending across the top and downwardly for short distances at the sides. The fabric may also extend down across the back and may extend down to the body in the rear of the pivotal support. The construction of the fabric of the top-forms no portion of my invention and I have only illustrated the outline of the latter by dotted lines.

The framework itself includes a bow 10 pivotally supported at opposite sides of the vehicle adjacent to the rear end and so connected to the other bows and to the fabric of the top as to assume a substantially vertlcal position when the top is expanded.

Pivotally secured to the rear side of this bow, adjacent to the lower or pivoted end of the latter, is a second bow 11, extending rearwardly diagonally and having its transverse portion defining the rear edge of the top. Pivotally secured to the front side of the bow 10 at approximately the level of the depending edge of the fabric, I provide a substantially horizontal bow made up of two sections 12 and 13. These sections are pivotally connected at an elbow joint 14 so that the sections vmay move relatively to each other by a lowering of the joint 14 but are prevented from bending in the opposite direction past the proper alined position. The front bow section 13 extends to the front end of the top and forms the transverse member of the latter. Its front portion may have suitable means, such for instance as straps, for securing it to the front portion of the body of the vehicle or to the upper edge of the windshield. Such fastening means forms no portion of my invention and is not illustrated. Pivotally secured to the upper side of the bow section 12, intermediate its ends, is an upwardly and forwardly extending bow 15, the transverse portion of which supports the fabric of the top intermediate the transverse portions of the bows 10 and 13. The side members of the bow 15 are connected to the bow section 13 by forwardly and downwardly extending links 16.

As an important feature of my invention, I provide detachable fastening means for normally holding the joint 14 in the desired elevated position and with the sections 12 and 13 in alinement. In the specific form illustrated, this means takes the form of a pair of hooks 17, one on each side, pivotally secured to the bow 15 and detachably engaging with a stud or pin 18 adjacent to the joint 14. It is of course evident that the stud or pin 18 might be directly at the joint 14 or might be slightly in advance or in the rear thereof. By disengaging the hooks 17.

v. the joint 14 may drop and the parts will,

tend to assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

' The further collapsing of the top will bring 1 hicle as is usual in such top construction.

/Vith the top raised and with the hook in operation, the joint 14 cannot drop, the front edge of the bow 13 is held down in the usual manner, and all of the parts have the desired rigidity and stiffness. Therefore, to lower the top, it is merely necessary to vunfasten the front edge and disengage the hooks 17. In raising the top, the front edge of the bow 13 may be brought over to approximately the desired position, the bow sections 12 and 13 forced up into alinement and the hooks fastened.

Not only is the frame, when designed in accordance with my invention,-very eificient for ordinary purposes, but it also presents a substantially right angular space between the bow l0 and the windshield and between the bow sections 12 and 13 and the top edge upwardly from the side wall of the vehicle in front of and in the rear of the rear door and with door sections 22 and 23 extending upwardly from the front and rear doors. The door sections22 and 23 maybe hinged to the wall sections 20 and 21 by hinges in alinement with the door hinges so as to readily swing with the doors. The lower edges of all four sections may be held in place by pins 24: extending into sockets 25 in the upper edge of the wall or door as the case may be, and suitable fastening means may be provided for connecting the upper edges of the wall and door sections or panels to the bow sections 12 and 13.

One very eiiicient Inc-ans, which also forms a part of my inventiominvolves the use of pins or studs 26 extending downwardly from the side bow sections 12 and 13 and adapted to enter sockets 27 in the ripper edge of the wall sections 20 and 21. A plate 28 extends across the upper ed e of each panel overlthe'socket therein an -so as to permit it to swing u wardly un er the'infiuence of a spring 29. an aperture re istering with the socket therebeneath an the studs or pins 27 ex tend through the apertures but in case the is hin ed ach plate has bow and prevent the disengagement of the bow from the wall section. When it is desired to remove the wall sections, it is merely necessary to press the bow upwardly and at the same time'pressthe plate 28 downwardly so as to disengage the pin 26 from the opening in the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a vehicle body, a top carried thereby and including a substantiallyvertical bow and a substantially horizontal collapsible bow pivotally secured to the first mentioned bow and disposed substantially parallel to the upper edge of said body, a plurality of wall and door extensions detachably carried by said body and automatically acting spring-actuated fasteners for detachably securing the upper ends of said wall and door extensions to said second mentioned how.

2. In combination, a vehicle body having front and rear doors and wall sections in the rear of each door, a top pivotally supportedon said vehicle at a single point on each seat in the rear of'the rear door and including an upwardly extending bow and a horizontally extending, collapsible frame pivotally secured to saidbow' and including a member substantially parallel to the upper edge of the body of said vehicle, aplurality of detachable wall and door sections supported by said body and resilient retainers for detachably connecting the upper edges of said sections and the lower edge of said top to prevent lateral movement away from the bow.

a 3. In combination, a vehicle-body, a collapsible top including a frame member.sub-.

stantially parallel to the upper edge of the body but spaced therefrom, and a plurality,

of wall and door sections carried by said body and having their upper edges terminating adjacent to said frame member, and means for connecting said frame member and said upper edges, said means including co-acting pins and pivotally mounted, per: forated, spring actuated plates.

4. In combinaticn, a vehicle body, a "col lapsible top including a frame mere-her substantielly parallel to the upper edge of the but spaced therefrom and a plurality or wall and door section. carried by said an and having their upper edges terminetting adjacent to said frame member, members rigid with said frame member and depending therefrom, and resilient members, said depending members and said resilient members serving to connect the upper edges of said wall and door sections to said frame member and prevent relative lateral movement.

-5. In combination, a vehicle body, a top carried thereby and including a substantially vertical bow and a substantially horizontal bow pivotally secured to the first mentioned bow and disposed substantially parallel to the upper edge of said body, said horizontal bow being formed of pivotaly connected sections, means for holding said sections Copies of this patent may be obtained for substantially rigid in respect to each other and rigid with said vertical bow when the top is raised, and a plurality of panels each having projections at their lower ends adapted to enter sockets in the upper edge ofsaid body, and a resilient retainer for preventing lateral swinging of the upper edges of said panels.

Signed at New Yorkcity in the county of New York and State of New York this eleventh day of September A. D. 1914.

CHARLES DAVID WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, FLORENCE LEVIEN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

